Paperboard container



April 13, 1954 MAIN 2,675,166

PAPERBOARD CONTAINER Filed July 9, 1952 fru/erzfor' Jczm us Z1 Main Patented Apr. 13,1954

PAPERBOARD CONTAINER James W. Main, Bellevue, Wash., assignor to (Jontainer Corporation of A corporation of Delaware merica, Chicago, 111., a

Application July 9, 1952, Serial No. 297,859

4 Claims. I

The improved paperboard container comprising the present invention has been primarily designed for use in connection with the packaging and shipping of fruit and other edible perishable goods. The container is, however, capable of other uses and the same may, with or without modification, be employed for the packaging and shipment of staple goods, whether edible or otherwise.

It is among the principal objects of the present invention to provide a paperboard container, preferably formed from a singl blank of'the paperboard material, which, when set up or erected for use, presents top and bottom surface areas that cooperate in a novel, and efiicient manner with counterpart bottom and top surface areas respectively on adjacent superimposed containers for locking the containers together in stacked relationship.

A more specific but equally important object of the invention is to provide a container of this character in which the upper open rim thereof, in addition to constituting one element of a looking assembly as outlined above, also provides a novel means whereby when two or more containers are stacked the bottom of an overlying container will remain out of contact with the goods contained in an underlying container, even when the latter is filled to capacity.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a container in which the stacking areas provided at the top and bottom of superimposed containers are reinforced against vertical thrust by the inherent rigidity of two spaced vertically disposed paperboard panels which, in combination, constitute an end wall of the container.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a container of this sort in which the inner of the two thrust-receiving panels referred to above constitutes a, retaining wall and barrier for the contents of the container to prevent the latter from coming into contact with the fingers of the stacker or other handler when they are projected through a hand hole conveniently provided in the outer of the two thrust-receiving panels.

With these and other objects in view, which will become more readily apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying single sheet of drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a partially erected container constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

. tudinal extent of the side wall Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the container shown in Fig. 1. In this view, portions of the com posite container bottom hav been broken away to reveal more clearly the nature of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a side view of a pair of the containers, showing the same in stacked relationship; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a blank from which the container of Fig. l is formed.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to Fig. l, the improved container comprising the present invention is in the form of a rectangular, open-top structure having composite side and end walls It and [2 respectively, and a composite bottom 14. Each end wall It is comprised of an outer vertical panel 16 and an inner vertical panel l8 arranged in spaced relation and connected together by an upper hori zontal bridging wall or panel 28 which constitutes a part of the upper open rim of the container as a whole. As will be pointed out subsequently, the bridging walls 28 are elevated above the remainder of the open rim portion of the container and provide comparatively wide stacking areas at the top of the container as well as serving as pedestal tops for supporting a superimposed container bottom and maintaining the same elevated above the level of the contents of the container when the latter is filled to capacity.

The side walls It are likewise each formed of an outer panel 22 and an inner panel 24 connected together by a bridging wall or panel 25, the latter being somewhat less in extent than the longilil as a whole and also being disposed below the plane of the bridging panels 2!! associated with the end walls It. This difference in elevation of the bridging panels 20 and 26 affords a ventilating void or opening 6 such as is indicated at 23 in Fig. 3 when a plurality of the containers are stacked upon one another as well as maintaining the bottom of an upper container out of contact with the contents of a lower container when the latter is filled to capacity.

The end wallpanels 56 are each formed with a hand hole 30. Because of the fact that the inner end wall panels iii are imperforate, the fingers of the hand, when projected through the hand holes 36, are maintained out of contact with the contents of the container.

The container briefly described above is formed from the unitary blank 32 shown in Fig. 4. The blank 32 involves in its general organization the four outer side and end respectively which are arranged in alignment in wall panels I B and 22 the blank and which are connected by hin lines 34. One of the outer side wall panels 22 of the blank 32 is provided at its outer or free end with an attachment tab or flap 36 adapted to be secured to an edge region of the outer end wall panel is at the other end of blank 32.

Each outer end wall panel l6 has hingedly connected thereto along a hinge line 38 an inner bottom panel or flap 48 and each outer side wall panel 22 similarly has hingedly connected thereto along a hinge line 42 an outer bottom panel, the latter two panels being designated at 44 and 48 respectively. The panels 44 and 46 are designed for interlocking engagement with each other and, accordingly, the panel 45 is provided with an elongated slot 48 while the panel 44 is provided with a cooperating tongue 49 capable of being received through the slot 48 when the panels 44 and 46 are brought into overlapping relation during setting up of the container. The panels 44 and 45 are of slightly less longitudinal extent than are the side wall panels 22 to which they are hinged in order that a locking effect will be produced between adjacent containers when one container is stacked upon another, all in a manner that will be set forth in detail presently.

The inner side wall panels 24 are connected to the bridging panels 26 along hinge lines 50 while these latter panel are connected to the outer side wall panels along hinge lines 52. Each inner side wall panel 24 is severed along transverse lines 55 and longitudinal lines 56 to provide a cut-away corner portion 58 which is divided by a fold line 60 into rigid and bendable sections 62 and 64 respectively for purposes that will also be set forth subsequently. V

The edge portions of each side panel indicated at 25 are defined from the major portion of the panel by crease lines 25a. The portions 25 are adapted to be folded at a right angle to the walls 24 so that the portions 25 will lie fiat on the bottom of the container. The ends of portions 25 are preferably cut away as indicated at 25b, 25b for a purpose which will later be described.

The inner end wall panels 18 are connected to the bridging panels 29 along hinge lines 66 and these latter panels are connected to the outer end wall panels along hinge lines 68. Each end wall panel I8 is provided with bendable edge regions or friction flaps 10 which exist by virtue of fold lines 12 and severance lines 14. The friction flaps l cooperate with the inner faces of the inner side wall panels 24 for holding the container in its erected condition as will be explained presently.

In the setting up or erecting of the container of Fig. 1 from the blank of Fig. 4, the blank is folded along the transverse fold lines 54 and 35 to bring the attachment flap or tab 36 and an edge of the remote end wall panel l6 into overlapping relation and these parts are then secured together in any suitable manner, as for example 7 by stapling as indicated at 16. It is to be noted that the staples T8 constitute the only positive fastening means employed in connection with the present container. Obviously, if desired, the staples 16 may be omitted and the attachment tab may be applied to the end wall panel by gluing or the like. This portion of the operation is ordinarily carried out in the container manufacturing plant.

After the folding operation just described, the container may be squared up, the two bottom wall panels 40 may be folded along hinge lines 38 up and into the container body and the interlocking panels 44 and 46 may be folded beneath 4 the panels 49 and the tongue 49 inserted through the slot 48. These latter panels appear as indicated in Fig. 2 after they and panels iii have been restored to closely overlying relationship. Because of the fact that the longitudinal extent of the interlocking panels 4 and 46 is less than the longitudinal extent of the adjacent side wall panels 22, the underneath faces of the bottom panels 40 will be exposed along regions designated at 18 in Fig. 2. These exposed regions, as will be more particularly outlined, constitute stacking areas which are designed for cooperation with the bridging panels 2E! on an adjacent container when the two containers are stacked in superimposed relation as shown in Fig. 3.

To complete the assembly or setting up of the container, the inner side wall panels 24 are moved into positions of parallelism with the outer side wall panels 22 by folding the partially erected blank along the lines 50 and 52. Thereafter, the inner end wall panels 18 may be moved into approximate parallelism with the outer end wall panels lB while at the same time the edge regions or friction flaps 10 are bent at an angle to the plane of the panels It as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 so that they bear against the panels 24 after the container has been completely erected. The lower edges of the panels [8 are preferably moved along the inturned portions 25, 25 until they snap in behind the cut-away edges 25b, 25b, thereby positively locking the portions [8, IS in place.

The bendable sections 65 are turned inwardly as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and underlie the end regions of the bridging panels 20, this bending operation taking place just prior to complete folding of the end wall portions of the container.

With the container thus erected, it will be seen that when one container is placed upon another similar container in stacking relation as shown in Fig. 2, the rigid sections 52 of the outer side wall panels 22 of the lower container, in combination with the bridging wall panel sections 20 and adjacent paperboard regions, constitute in effect a pair of pedestals at opposite ends of the lower container for supporting the upper container thereon. The stacking areas it of the upper container will rest upon the bridging wall panels 20 of the lower container while the interlocking panels 44 and 46 will seat within the void existing between the two pedestal portions.

and 46 is approximately equal to or slightly less than the intervening distance between the vertical inner end wall panels IS, and since the com-.

accompanying drawings or described in this specie fication as various changes in the details of cone struction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. Only insofar as the invention has particularly been pointed out in the accompanying claims is the same to be limited.

I claim:

1. An open-top paperboard container substantially rectangular in plan and comprising side walls, end walls having pedestals extending above said side walls and providing top end seating Since the longitudinal extent of the interlocking panels 44 surfaces for the end portions of the bottom of a similar superjacent container, and bottom closure means comprising infolded fiat inner bottom closure panels hinged to said end walls along fold lines and outer bottom closure panels hinged to said side walls along fold lines, said outer bottom closure panels being infolded into overlapping relation one to the other and secured together effective for restraining said inner bottom closure panels against downward movement and providing in cooperation therewith bottom closure means for said container, the ends of said outer bottom closure panels being spaced inward from said end walls a distance approximating the width of the respective seating surfaces of said pedestals and extending downward beyond said end walls providing stops for contact with the pedestals of a similar subjacent container.

2. An open-top paperboard container substantially rectangular in plan and comprising side walls, end walls having pedestals extending above said side Walls and providing top end seating surfaces for the end portions of the bottom of a similar superiacent container, and bottom closure means of materially greater extent than the respective end walls and comprising infolded inner bottom closure panels hinged to said end walls along fold lines and outer bottom closure panels hinged to said side walls along fold lines, said outer bottom closure panels being infolded into overlapping relation one to the other and secured together effective for restraining said inner bottom closure panels against downward movement and providing in cooperation therewith bottom closure means for said container, the ends of said outer bottom closure panels being spaced for the full width thereof inward from said end walls a distance approximating the width of the respective seating surfaces of said pedestals thereby exposing the corresponding areas of said inner bottom closure panels and providing bottom end seating areas, said outer bottom closure panels extending below said bottom seating areas providing stops for contact with the pedestals of a similar subjacent container.

3. An open-top paperboard container substantially rectangular in plan and comprising side walls, end walls having pedestals providing top end seating surfaces for the end portions of the bottom of a similar superjacent container, and bottom closure means comprising infolded fiat inner bottom closure panels hinged to said end walls along fold lines and outer bottom closure panels hinged to said side walls along fold lines, said outer bottom closure panels being respectively of materially less width than said end walls and infolded with their inner portions in overlapping relation one to the other and secured together efiective for restraining said inner bottom closure panels against downward movement and providing in cooperation therewith bottom closure means for said container, the ends of said outer bottom closure panels being spaced inward from said end walls a distance approximating the width of the respective seating surfaces of said pedestals, the overlapping inner portions of said outer bottom closure panels extending downward beyond the outer side portions thereof and be yond said end and side walls providing stops for contact with the pedestals of a similar subjacent container.

4. A paperboard container substantially rectangular in plan and comprising side walls, end walls having pedestals providing top end seating surfaces for the end portions of the bottom of a similar superjacent container, and bottom closure means comprising infolded flat inner bottom closure panels hinged to said end walls along fold lines and outer bottom closure panels hinged to said side walls along fold lines, said outer bottom closure panels being respectively of materially less width than said end walls and infolded with their inner portions in overlapping relation one to the other, the ends of said outer bottom closure panels being spaced inward from said end walls a distance approximating the width of the respective seating surface of said pedestals, the upper one of said outer bottom closure panels having a slot in its inner portion and the lower one of said outer bottom closure panels having at its inner portion an element inserted through said slot and in cooperation therewith providing tongue and slot means securing said outer bottom closure panels together, the inner portions of said outer bottom closure panels being bulged downward by said tongue and slot means and extending downward beyond the outer side portions of said outer bottom closure panels and beyond said end and side walls providing stops for contact with the pedestals of a similar subjacent container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 720,894 Cleveland Feb. 17, 1903 864,761 Erickson Aug. 27, 1907 1,673,109 Fenstermacher June '12, 1928 1,906,622 Kondolf May 2, 1933 1,963,299 Fear June 19, 1934 2,013,874 Whalley Sept. 10, 1935 2,116,513 Frankenstein May 10, 1938 2,163,117 Evans June 20, 1939 2,232,632 Reynolds Feb. 18, 1941 2,349,241 Arneson May 23, 1944 

